Iiufus button



` R. DUTTON.

Cutting. Apparatus for Harvesters No. 174,211. Pamedfeb-n,1868.`

(. MIJ/Im euros' BUTTON, or BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

Letters Patent No. 74,211, dated February 11, 1868.

IMPOYEMENT IN CUTTING-APPARATUS FOR HARVESTERS.

ette tlgtttle referat tu tu tten tettets hattet mit' taking gaat at tte stmt.

TO ALL WHOM IT MAY GONCERN: v Y

Beit known that I, RUFUS DUTTON, of Brooklyn, in the Vcounty ofeKings, and Stafeof New York, have 4inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in the Construction of Knife-Bars for Harvesters and their con .ncction with the finger-bar; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, and of their mode or manner of operation, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and t0 the letters of reference marked thereon, and making a part of this specification.

The nature of my invention consists in a new and improved construction o f the knife-bar for harvestingmachines, whereby reduced weight with equal or increased strength can bcsecured, and with less friction. in its vibrations; and also in a new and improved manner of holding the knife-bar down upon its bearings, and the knives-against the lower side of the slot in the finger, so as to secure a perfect and easy cut.

Figure 1 represents a section of a finger-bar with the fingers attached thereto, and `the knife-bar and knives in position.

Figure-2 is a section of fig. 1, through one of the ngers.

Figure 3 is a detached view of plate D.

Knife-bars of harvesting-machines, as heretofore constructed, have been and are a fiat piece of iron or steel, resting and sliding upon its broadest surfaces, and held down against their bearings on the finger-bar byabutton extending over or nearly oyer the upper side of such knife-hars. There has consequently been a very considerable frictional surface, and as both the upper and under surfaces must be smooth, it has been necessary to countersink, both in the knife-bar and the knife, the rivet holding these two together, and this operation or construction has and does necessarily weaken the parts.

My invention relates more particularly to such a construction of knife-bar as diminishes the frictional i surface, and permits the knives to be connected to it without countersinking or weakeningit, at the same time that it makes the bar stiffer and strenger; and also to the application and use, for holding the knives against and down upon thc ngers, of a new and improved device, in place of the ordinary button.

Instead of making the knife-bar of a lia-t piece or bar of metal, as heretofore constructed, I form such knifebar substantially as seen at B,gs. 2 and 3, that is, of a metallic plate, lia/ving its edges depressed belowthe level of the main part of the bar, so that the bar rests only on such edges, instead of on its whole at surface, as heretofore. By this form of construction the frictional surface on theunder side of the bar is much reduced, and the depressed edges also act like ribs to strengthen the knife-bar, and consequently allow such bar to be made much lighter and have equal strength.

lt has also heretofore been necessary, as the knife-bar rested on its entire surface, that the rivets, used for fastening the knives to the knife-banishould be countersunk, so as to secure a smooth surface on the bottom of thc knife-bar. Such construction, however, by so much weakens the bar. But, by depressing the edges of the knife-bar, as described, sullicient space is `obtained below the main part of the bar for the head c of the rivets referred to, without having such rivets interfere with the movements of the knife-bar. .The necessity of coun tcrsinking the bar for the head of the rivet is thus obviated, and the bar consequently left so much the stronger.

V'.lhe expense of countersinking is also saved, which in the aggregate is considerable.

Fig. 2 also shows an improved mode or device for holding the knife-bar B in positionvupon and over .the

finger-bar, so that the knives C will be kept down against the under side of the slot of the nger. Ashows the.

finger-bar, fastened'to the finger F by the rivets m m. Gr is a steel istrip or bearing, on which the knife-bar F moves, there being generally used of such bearings from three to sin" in a machine. is a button, which extendg over tledcpressed back edge of the bar B, and holds it down against the bearing G. D represents'a. plate of steel, which is curved to correspond with the bottom and raised edge of the linger-bar F, an`d5which is generally about half the breadth of the finger, as shown more plainly in iig. 1. Such plate, D, .is let intothe finger, as shown in fig. 2, and its upper end is turned back over the top of the raised edge of theingerbar, in which is cut o recess to receive it. Such part of the plate D also extends buck beyond the top of the inger-bar suiiciently to cover the depressedfront edge of the knife-bar, and hold it down against the bearing (if, and the knife t against the finger. The use anod application ofl such plate, D, secures the knife-bar and its knives to be held down upon each and every finger, whereas, -in the use of buttons, as ordinarily applied, there is but one button for every five or six fingers. A more certain and easy cut is thus obtained.

Buttons, as ordinarily applied and used, fastened te the finger behind, and projecting over the knife-bar, are also very liable to be clogged from cnt grass, dirt, dac., getting between them and the knife-bar, and the presence of such dirt, die., causes the parts to wear rapidly. By the use, however, of the securing-plate D and the button E, as above described, this danger .or liability is almost Wholly removed, and moremeompletely by causing the knife-blade() to extend bael far enough to cover the front part of the button E, Snell knife-blade thus covering both the front and baek'devices for heldingthe knife-bar down, and almost wholly preventing anything entering to clog such bar. v

-By the usefalso, of such devices to hold down the knife-bar,tl1ere is no necessity that the upper surface of the knife-blades over the knife-bar should be smooth, aswhen a button extends over the entire breadth of the bar, and ther'f6e`the beam rivet, fas-@Fing the knife to its bar, can stand above the knife, as seen in gs. 2 and 3, and all necessity for countersinking such rivets into tbe knife-blade is removed.

The plate Dis fastened by the same rivet that secures the inger-bar to the finger, andsuob. plate is also held rigidly in position by being let into the nger and -into the top edge of the raised part of the'nger-bar, as before described. I

What I claim as my invention, and desire to seeure by Letters Patent, is'- 19A knifebar,'having both its front and 'back edges depressed, so as to form, when combined with the knives or critters, recesses or openings-between the edges ofthe knifebar and the knives, and having its central part recessed or raised longitudinally from the under side, the whole constructed substantially as and for the purposes set forth. Y I

,2. The application and use of the plate D, arranged' and held as described, for holding down the front edge of the knife-bar, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. In combination with snehplate D, forholding down the front edge of' the knife-bar, the button E, arranged as described, for holding down the beek edge of such bar.

Y B. BUTTON.

Witnesses.:l

S. D. LAW, W. R. RoNALDs. 

